Eyes of Starlight
by celestia193
Summary: Gifted with the ability to see into the past, present, and future, a young girl flees hollows and soul reapers alike in a race across the world. Battling her own deep hatred, Akari must choose between helping the Soul Society, and leaving them behind. But it's not much of a choice when she's pulled in by fate. Bleach belongs to Tite Kubo. Rated T for blood (duh) and swearing.
1. Capture or Kill

**So, I'm in a bit of a Bleach mood right now (meaning that my inspiration to write suddenly switched over from Fairy Tail), so I thought that I'd put up a story, just to test the waters of this fandom's fanfiction world. This is a story that I've had in my back pocket for a while, so I thought 'Hey, why not? I'm in the mood to watch Bleach, so why don't I work on it and post it?'. After all, I did spend about a month posting fifty chapters to my Fairy Tail fic. Maybe it needs a short break. So, Bleach.**

 **So, even though I'm not entirely sure if I want to follow the canon story past Aizen's big mess (though I do kinda want to cover the anime fillers, since a good fanfiction can make even the most disappointing filler episodes bearable), I have to admit…last month's chapters really helped to stir my creativity. Because let's face it, Kubo just gave a big chunk of the fandom some much needed fanservice.**

 **Thank you, Kubo.**

 **Anyhow, please enjoy this first chapter. I'll be doing the story from two first person P.O.V.s, and it's an O.C. insert, just a head's up. Italics are for butterfly messages (these have quotation marks) and thoughts (no quotation marks), bold for author's notes.**

 **The story begins just before Rukia meets Ichigo.**

* * *

Toshiro's P.O.V.

My morning started out hard enough when I saw the work piled up on my desk. But I guess that I should have expected something to happen to make it worse. Somehow, there's always something there to make my day worse. And today will no doubt be no exception.

Right on cue, a hell butterfly flies in the window of my office, an office that I worked hard to get. And despite the mountains of paperwork, the useless lieutenant, and most of the other captains looking down on me, I'm determined to prove just how effective a captain I can be. And as it lands on my hand, I listen to the recorded message.

 _"Attention, this message is addressed to all captains of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads. Head-Captain Yamamoto commands your presence in the Squad One barracks immediately. I repeat. Head-Captain Yamamoto commands your presence in Squad One immediately."_

The message starts to repeat itself over again, so I shake the hell butterfly off my finger. _He commands our presence? What exactly is this about?_ This doesn't happen often. In fact, it only ever happens when there is a serious threat to address.

Rangiku finally saunters into the office, looking more than a little tipsy this morning. "Oh, Captain! I'm sorry I'm late, I got caught up-"

"Enough!" I cut her off and get up from my desk, having no patience for dealing with her drunken antics. "The Head-Captain has called for a meeting. Stay here and get to work on the paperwork that you've been putting off all morning." I walk straight towards the door, barely glancing at Rangiku. "I'm going to Squad One."

I slam the doors shut behind me. More than once, I've been tempted to freeze this dimension's entire store of alcohol just to get her to put it down and do some work for once. But knowing my lieutenant, she would go through hell and back to find a way to thaw it out. Or worse, she might just skip over to the World of the Living in order to satisfy her craving for alcohol. And there, I might never find her.

* * *

Making my way quickly to Squad One's barracks, I mull over the many possible reasons that could cause the Head-Captain to call for a mandatory meeting at such short notice. Because this definitely isn't normal. There's usually a lot more warning when a meeting is mandatory, because it takes a while to get all the captains rounded up.

Surprisingly, it looks like attendance isn't going to be a problem today. In the meeting hall, all of the other captains have started to gather, including Ukitake, whose health seems to be better lately. We wait patiently for the head captain to arrive and start the meeting. And the atmosphere is tense, which means that the other captains know that something is definitely up. _That's good, I thought I was the only one on edge._

Next to me, Kyoraku tips his hat down over his eyes. "So…I wonder what it is this time…" He glances at me for a moment. "Any guesses?"

 _He's asking me?_ "I don't know. But whatever it is, it's got to be important. There's never been a summons this last minute."

"Hm…" There's a slight smile on his face. "Then I think that our day is about to get rather interesting."

"You say that like it's a good thing…" I honestly have a hard time understanding Kyoraku sometimes. He may be one of the captains who doesn't give me any condescending looks, or hassle over my inexperience, but that doesn't mean that he's particularly open about what goes on in that head of his. Most of the time, he's just lounging around, drinking sake and lying in the sun, while leaving most of the paperwork to his lieutenant. _Sometimes, I wish that we could trade lieutenants…_

Finally, the elderly captain of Squad One enters the meeting room, and all conversation around the room ceases. Now we can finally figure out exactly why we're here in the first place. He takes his place at the head of the room, and the tension only becomes stiffer.

Yamamoto strikes his cane against the ground, a call for attention. "As you all know, this meeting is to discuss matters of great importance."

It takes all my willpower not to roll my eyes, as that would be disrespectful to the Head-Captain. _Yes…we know that, now what is it? I've had a bad enough morning dealing with a backlog of paperwork. And getting pulled away from that when I really need to deal with it is not helping my mood._

The Head-Captain continues, after a moment of silence. "It has come to my attention that the fluctuations of spiritual pressure that have been running rampant all over the World of the Living for the last twenty years have begun to strengthen as of late. These fluctuations are now confirmed to originate from a single source. However, this powerful being has been causing disturbances worldwide. It is not a soul reaper, nor any kind of hollow. But, as it has been causing these problems across the globe, the time has come to put an end to it. After twenty years, this being has shown itself despite the broken trails." The explanation is all well and good. Then, he turns to the captain of Squad Twelve. "Captain Kurotsuchi! Your analysis, please."

Kurotsuchi starts waving his hands, something he does when excited. "The Department of Research and Development has concluded that based on our readings, this being has levels of spiritual power at least equal to those of most of the captains present. And it would appear to have some kind of space-time ability, seeing as it manages to move over the planet at unheard of speeds, as well as jumping from continent to continent. Now, given how inconsistent the readings are, I've concluded that the entity likely uses other dimensions as buffers for moving across oceans. In addition, this being has powers that don't match any of the supernatural species on record. It isn't a soul reaper, or a hollow, a Quincy, an arrancar, or a human with any kind of special power. This is an unknown entity." Once's he's ruled out all of the usual, and unusual suspects, he gets rather serious. "The closest signature we've analyzed to this unknown entity is that of the Sokyoku. But it's still not an exact match, which is why this entity is classified as unknown."

Now that throws a serious twist on this. Whatever this thing is, it has energy similar to our ultimate execution tool. _Does that make it a zanpakuto that's running loose? That's impossible..._

"Does that mean that this is a zanpakuto running loose?" Captain Komomura's growling voice echoes from behind his helmet. "Or is this something never seen before?

"Both are good questions, however I am not entirely sure what the source is, whether it comes from the entity itself, or from a weapon that it carries. I would suspect, however, that rather than it belonging to one or the other, that they share the same energy signature. Or something to that effect. In any case, it is quite fascinating, and I would enjoy the chance to study it." Kurotsuchi rubs his hands together, as though he's already imagining the plethora of inhumane experiments that he could conduct on this force.

Rapping his cane against the floor once more, Yamamoto brings order to the room. "In any case, the source of the power has returned to Japan, which is the closest part of the World of the Living to the Soul Society, and that power seems to be moving quickly. Be ready to leave immediately. This mission will be first to capture, and if that is not possible, then the source of the power must be brought down by any means necessary. Everyone must keep their guard up, no matter what they find, this entity could be portraying itself as harmless and innocent. Proceed with caution. You are dismissed."

With that abrupt end, the meeting dissolves, and I make my way out of the room. _An unknown entity…with as much power as a captain? That shouldn't be possible…unless it's a Menos level hollow. But they said it wasn't a hollow. So what is it?_

A large hand claps me on the shoulder, and I look up to see Ukitake smiling down at me. "It's good to see you, Toshiro."

I nod slightly. "You too. I'm sorry, I'm just a little focused on this new development…"

"That makes sense…" Ukitake frowns a little. "But I can't imagine anything that would warrant sending all of the captains to apprehend it."

"Neither can I…" And that's exactly what has me worried. "Excuse me, I need to report back to my squad and inform my lieutenant that I'll be gone for today."

"Of course." Ukitake releases me with a smile. He's always so gentle and carefree that sometimes it's hard to believe that he's one of the oldest and most powerful captains.

* * *

With no more obstructions, I return to my office, half-expecting there to be bottles strewn all over, and the smell of sake hanging in the air. And although the smell of sake doesn't smash into me this time, seeing Rangiku sprawled out on the couch is hardly a surprise.

"Rangiku!"

She shoots up into a sitting position and looks around. "Captain! I wasn't sleeping, I was-"

I pinch the bridge of my nose and sigh. "I don't care…I just came to tell you that I'm heading to the World of the Living shortly."

That has her on her feet in an instant. "Oh, where are we going?"

"We aren't going anywhere." I point to the pile of paperwork on Rangiku's desk. "You are going to sit there and do some work, while I accompany the other captains on a capture assignment."

"The other captains…?" Her eyes go wide. "What could possibly merit sending more than one captain?"

"I don't know…" And that's what bothers me the most. "But it's an order from the Head-Captain. I'll be leaving immediately. The information we were given indicates that the target, an unknown power, has at least as much spiritual power as a captain. That is the reason that twelve of the thirteen squad captains are going to the World of the Living."

Her eyes widen further. "Twelve? Head-Captain believes that it will take twelve captains to bring in one spirit!?"

"We don't know if it's a spirit, just that it's powerful, and that it's been jumping all over the world. Our first order is to capture it. And if that's not possible, we're to destroy it." I glance at her desk again. "I don't know how long this will take, but I'm expecting that pile to be gone by the time I get back."

"Uh…yes captain…" I feel her eyes on my back as I exit the office. Usually, I've got a little more patience for her antics, though not much. But it sounds like today, she's not going to fight me on this. _Well, I suppose that's one less headache for me to deal with._

* * *

I report to the center plaza, where several of the captains have gathered. And predictably, Kurotsuchi is being creepy. The painted scientist is wringing his hands in excitement. Sometimes, I wish that I could put him on ice, permanently.

Sidling over to Kyoraku, who is suspiciously relaxed about all of this, I lower my voice to just louder than a whisper. "There's something that's not right about this…"

Kyoraku fiddles with the edge of his hat again. "Hm…maybe…" But he goes quiet, refusing to elaborate.

 _He knows something…_ Of course, that's nothing new. He always knows something.

But I don't have the opportunity to think on it further, because as Komomura and Soi Fon arrive, filling out the last of our ranks, Kurotsuchi walks through the group, towards the opening Senkaimon. He fingers the device in his hands, which is letting off a quiet, low tone. "Now, this sensor will allow us to track the source of the energy within a hundred miles. Once we have it's location, we can move out from there."

There's silence, but a general nodding of agreement. There's no point in delaying just to debate the fact that Kurotsuchi seems to be trying to take over this operation. He's the one with the sensor, so there's no much choice but to leave it up to him.

One by one, we approach and pass through the Senkaimon, the gate that connects the Soul Society to the World of the Living. Usually, it doesn't see this much traffic. And it's also highly unusual for this many captains to be going to the World of the Living all at once. But our orders are very clear.

This is a capture or kill mission.


	2. A Heart Full of Hatred

**Just a warning, this O.C. has a lot of trust issues. Oh, and Toshiro goes and mistakes her gender right off the bat.**

* * *

Akari's P.O.V.

 _I hate soul reapers._

 _I hate them almost as much as I hate hollows._

 _If it weren't for them, I wouldn't be alone._

 _And despite the necessity, I hate being alone._

 _I hate a lot of things..._

* * *

If it weren't for both soul reapers and hollows, my big brother would still be alive. Those so-called death gods, guides for the dead, soul reapers, are completely useless at their job, no matter what people decide to call them. I can barely accept even a handful of them as being competent exorcists. They are often conveniently absent when their presence is required.

The last twenty years, I've been doing their job for them, extinguishing the evil of hollows, and collecting the souls of the dead, both pure human, and those of the corrupted hollows. It's been the main focus of over a quarter of my life.

Well, except for the part where I'm also running for my life. But that part is just annoying and depressing.

See, hollows love the way I smell. To them, I smell like a buffet in a five-star hotel, the food freshly cooked and steaming. I don't entirely understand why, but if I had to guess, I'd say that it has something to do with the fact that I have a powerful, pure, immortal soul. And sometimes, I really wish I didn't. And by sometimes, I mean all of the time.

I draw hollows to me in hordes of at least fifty at a time. That prompts me to stay constantly on the move, both for my safety, as well as for the safety of the humans. Because of my constant fleeing, I've been to every continent in this dimension, as well as all across the many dimensional rifts. The only two dimensions that I stubbornly avoid are Hueco Mundo, the home of the hollows, and the Soul Society. And those two should be fairly self-explanatory.

But it wasn't always like this. There was a time when I wasn't alone, and wasn't constantly running for my life. But that was a long time ago, when my brother, Hayate, was still alive. He protected me, taught me everything I know. He is the reason that I've survived for as long as I have.

But he's gone, and the fault lies solely with the soul reapers. If they had been doing their jobs properly, then we wouldn't have been caught in a battle with six hundred hollows. If they had shown up when they were supposed to, we wouldn't have been so outnumbered.

If they had only done their job, my brother wouldn't have died protecting me. And now, because of them, I'm stuck protecting the humans.

I hate protecting humans. They are an ungrateful and violent lot who have no idea how to stop hating each other long enough to realize that they are causing so much of the evil in the world. But despite all of their failings, I end up protecting them anyway, since the things that threaten them tend to come chasing after me like flies to honey.

* * *

With one more jump, I land in a region that I'm distinctly familiar with. Normally, I wouldn't jump this far, but with all of the hollows chasing me across the North American continent, I had to get some distance from them. And I'm pretty sure that they're not so desperate to get a taste of me that they would try to cross an entire ocean.

That brings me here, all the way across the Pacific, to some place in rural Japan. I haven't been here long, an hour at most. In fact, it was in this same country that my brother died twenty years ago. So, I've made sure to avoid it like the plague. The Black Death, specifically.

 _Back here…huh?_ I take a look around. And thankfully, I've managed to land in a forest this time. _I hoped that I would never have to see this place again…_

My resentment bubbles around me as I sit down to rest for a moment. I never stay in one place for very long when resting, and I rarely fall deeply asleep. I can't afford to, when a single moment of weakness could propel me into a battle that I'm woefully unprepared for. So I have no choice but to always be prepared, for anything and everything.

But right now, I'm tired and worn down. I can't remember the last time I actually got some sleep. And the days blend together like paint of a canvas. Weeks blur together, turning into months, and years. Despite feeling like I'm stuck in time, I can still retain some sense of its passage. That's how I know that it's been twenty years since my brother died, twenty years since I was left to fend for myself. Barely more than a child, and left to survive alone.

So I climb up a tree and settle myself in the little nook between two of the branches. _Maybe…just a little nap…_ Desperate for a little sleep, I start dozing off under the sky that twinkles with stars.

 _Stars…just like my name…_

* * *

Then, an unpleasant feeling builds behind my eyes, waking me from a very light slumber. _They're coming already…?_ Usually, I have a little more time than this before I get swarmed by hollows, especially when I'm low on energy, and not putting out as strong a scent.

So I stretch out my limbs and drop from the tree, landing as lightly as a dancer. I hadn't been expecting to sleep for very long, but I was hoping to get more sleep than that. I'm probably several thousand hours behind on sleep. Any human would have dropped dead by now. But unluckily for me, I can't die from exhaustion, dehydration, or starvation. And it definitely doesn't help that I haven't aged in the last twenty years. I still look like a twelve year old. But in reality, I am so much older.

And then sometimes, the universe really likes to kick me when I'm down. Because hollows aren't the only things I can sense. And one signature in particular is one that I know very well.

 _Soul reapers…_

Judging by the amount of power that each of them are putting off, I'd say that they're all captain level soul reapers. And that means that they're likely not here to destroy the hollows. They could just send some group of lower ranked soul reapers to do that job.

No, if there are this many captains in this dimension, let alone in a single area, then it means that they're on an important mission. I sigh irritably, then smile wryly. _Well…I wonder what it is that they want…_

Of course, I'm not planning on sticking around long enough to find out. So I take off across the grass, my body more than recovered enough to flash through the forest and keep well ahead of them. However, a few minutes in, it's becoming clear that they're not changing their direction, and they're certainly not stopping either.

 _So…I suppose that this means that I'm the one they're after. If that's so, then they should have just picked me up twenty years ago when they had the chance. Because if they think that I'm just going to lie down and let them catch me, they've got another thing coming._

I have a contact among them, and in fact, he happens to be one of the soul reapers on my tail. Thanks to him, I've gotten a fairly good understanding of their rules, as well as how they operate. And if I'm really their target, then there's only a couple of viable explanations.

The first is that they somehow found out top-secret information from my contact, and are chasing me down in order to force me to use that power for their benefit. And I've got a lot of my own rules about using my foresight, so if that's their game, then they might be sorely disappointed.

The second explanation is that they want to kill me. With all of the power I emanate, it would only make sense that their organization of control freaks would see me as a dangerous threat. If there is a power in the world that can threaten them, they would prefer to either control of eliminate it, rather than let it run wild. I doubt that they even know what I am. If they did, they wouldn't be so foolish as to let their captains pursue me. It's not like I've ever planned to attack them. I just don't like them.

But running wild is something that I've done for most of my life. Only, I used to have an expert fighter and absolutely trustworthy companion to watch my back. That was a very long time ago. When I had a gale under my wings.

If their pursuit wasn't bad enough, I've still got those hollows closing in on me. And there's a whole lot of them. I roll my eyes. _Leave it to me to attract all of the trouble in the country right to a single spot…_

I hate having people interfere in my fights, since their interference could get me seriously hurt. And I don't like spending extra energy healing myself after fights. If these soul reapers continue their pursuit and interfere with me, that's exactly what is going to end up happening.

So I run, hoping that maybe the soul reapers and the hollows will meet up and fight each other so I can escape scot-free. But I suppose that that's a naïve wish, because with their approach trajectories, they're going to end up catching me right between them. So, I have to pick which one I want to deal with first. I pick the idiotic reapers.

I run off to the east, away from the edge of the nearby city. I at least need to keep this insanity away from the humans. As soon as they get caught up in this, the casualty count is going to skyrocket. I've seen more than enough death and destruction in my travels. So I would rather not be the cause of any more right now.

As expected, both the soul reapers and hollows alter their trajectories, chasing me towards the point of intersection. _Why me...?_

* * *

Toshiro's P.O.V.

When we got here, I'd thought that we might actually need the tracker. But within a minute of arriving, I realized that it wasn't necessary. Whatever it is that we're chasing, it's giving off so much power that it feels like I'm standing right next to it.

That said, as soon as we pick up the chase, whatever it is that we're trying to apprehend bolts. Its speed is like nothing I've ever seen before. It's easily equal to our own flash step.

 _Are they sure that we're not chasing a soul reaper? Or maybe an arrancar using a sonido?_ I've never actually seen an arrancar, only studied them in books. And even then, we've got so little information on them that they might as well not exist at all.

But this chase isn't our only problem. Captain Kuchiki of Squad Six eyes our surroundings as we flash through the trees. "There are a great many hollows here…it is unnatural."

"Does it control the hollows?" It's a scary thought, but one that I have to consider under these circumstances.

Kyoraku, the captain of Squad Eight, smiles faintly. "Control hollows? Doubtful. This energy is way to bright to be controlling hollows."

"Bright?" Reaching out my senses, I can definitely feel something…bright. It almost resembles the sun in the way that it shines.

And then, of course, there's the route it's taking. _It almost seems like whatever is putting off this bright energy is fleeing the hollows. And us as well. And if that's the case, then could the disturbances around the world be this thing trying to outrun and fight the hollows?_

And if that's the case, then this mission might turn out to be a lot more difficult than we first thought. Judging by what I'm sensing, there must be at least a hundred hollows converging on this entity's location. If this is a normal occurrence for whatever, or whoever we're chasing, then I want to know exactly how it's managed to survive this long.

Kyoraku glances at me with a smile. "Relax, Toshiro. I'm sure that nothing bad is going to happen."

I frown at him. "And your basis for that is…?"

But he just keeps smiling, not answering the question. He knows something, I'm sure enough of that. I just hope that it's not going to get all of us killed. This is supposed to be a mission to capture the target, and kill it if we aren't able to perform a successful capture. And if he's withholding information that could prove crucial to our success, I'll have to do what I can to weasel it out of him before we engage the target.

Finally, after nearly half an hour of chasing this entity, it stops out in a large open area. As it turns around, I get my first look at its form. From what I can see, this entity is small, tiny even. _Is this really our target?_

Using a Hell Butterfly, Head-Captain Yamamoto now gives out the orders. "Captains Kuchiki, Hitsugaya and Zaraki, take a frontal approach to this entity and be cautious as you engage it. Try to avoid killing it, unless you deem it to be hostile and dangerous. The other captains will surround it and cut off all its escape routes. Remember to be cautious, this entity is powerful and dangerous. Now, move to your positions."

 _Powerful and dangerous…?_ Somehow, I'm a little skeptical. But, it's best in a situation with an unknown opponent, to always assume that the enemy is stronger than you. That way, you're always prepared to fight hard, and it works to prevent complacency.

As ordered, I approach the target, along with Kuchiki and Zaraki, emerging from the trees and into a wide open area. As we approach, the image of this entity, this person, becomes clearer.

This kid, a boy with short, choppy red hair, is even shorter than I am. Probably barely over four feet tall. He's wearing a tattered outfit of a hooded yellow vest, a long-sleeved green shirt, ripped jeans, and mud-spattered sneakers. Instead of looking like a dangerous opponent, this looks more like a kid who ran away from home.

That is…until we get closer. Twenty meters, fifteen meters, ten meters. We stop at about twenty five feet, and now, I can see the kid very clearly. His hair isn't just red, it's scarlet, the color of blood and fire. And his eyes are bright gold, like nothing I've ever seen.

And it's not just his appearance that puts me off, he feels inhuman as well, since his spiritual pressure is just leaking out wildly. _This spiritual power must be what's drawing the hollows._ Hollows love to eat souls. And from the feeling I get from this kid, this boy has a powerful one. _They want to eat him._

But there's something wrong with this kid, something obvious in his face. His eyes, despite being bright gold, are hard and cold. And the way that he holds himself is like an old warrior, always on alert, just waiting for the next attack. But there's also a slump to his shoulders, evidence of mental and physical exhaustion. But that isn't stopping him from staring at me with a calculating gaze, evaluating the three of us.

Then, his eyes flick momentarily into the trees, right in the direction of every single one of the captains present. _He…knows? Did he really just pick out every single captain? That should be impossible…_

This is going to be a very difficult opponent to apprehend. But if we can pull it off, we're probably going to get a lot of interesting information during the interrogations.

* * *

Akari's P.O.V.

Three of the soul reapers approach me, well armed by the looks of it. The tallest of them has black hair spiked up almost like the spokes of a wheel, as well as an eyepatch over his right eye. The one of a more average size has long flowing black hair, held back by white ornaments. The shortest of the three has startling white hair, bright turquoise eyes, and is the only one of the three to wear his sword on his back. He must be an inch taller than me at most, not that it means anything. Danger cam come in a very small package.

As for the others, there are nine other soul reapers of their caliber, scattered throughout the trees. I was right in assuming that they're captains, they've got the white jackets to prove it.

I've been surrounded by twelve of the thirteen captain of the Soul Society's Thirteen Court Guard Squads. The Gotei Thirteen.


	3. Speaking the Truth

**It's been a while since I last updated (mostly because it's been all Naruto lately for the Camp NaNoWriMo session back throughout July, though I made my goal, which is good), but hopefully with the school year starting back up, I'll be able to update more often. It's much easier to update regularly when classes keep me to a specific schedule. So I'll do what I can to update between climbing the mountain to get to class, and writing up homework assignments.**

 **Also, I'm trying out something a little weird in terms of her "magic/spiritual" abilities. Please humor me.**

* * *

Akari's P.O.V.

The tallest one looks at me, starts walking closer, and gets obscenely loud obnoxiously fast. "So kid, are you really the one letting off all the spiritual pressure? You look way too tiny to be that powerful."

My eye twitches in irritation, and I glare at him, this oaf who clearly specializes in nothing more than simple combat. Even from what little I've seen, I can tell that there is no refined finesse in his movements. He's the type to favor brute strength above all else. Analyzing a potential threat quickly and accurately is one of the few reasons I've survived until now. "Don't underestimate me just because I'm short! I'm more powerful than you are. And frankly, it would take me no effort at all to send you flying several miles."

That puts a grin on his face. "Well, the kid can talk big, but can you back it up pipsqueak? Feel like showing me the power behind that attitude?" If he thinks that all of this is just attitude, then he's got another thing coming. And maybe he'll learn not to underestimate me, on the unlikely chance he survives an attack from me.

Just as I cross my hands, ready to attack and wipe this guy off the face of the earth, I sense them approach. "Agh! Damn it all to hell! I don't have time to be playing around with soul reapers. I have actual problems to deal with, none of which involve any of you!" I turn my back to them and glare over my shoulder, irritated by both them and the approaching horde. "If you want to stay alive, or half dead, in a manner of speaking, stay out of this."

Then, I press my foot into the ground and take one step, disappearing in a flash of fire, and reappearing a hundred meters away, surrounded by powerful hollows. I growl at them. "Well you lot are sure persistent. You would think that I'm a celebrity with a huge stalker following."

"Delicious!" Creepy.

"Smells wonderful!" A backhanded compliment.

"Let's eat it!" A far too eager threat.

So, when they attack, I attack right back. And stupid Shunsui seems to be holding the other reapers back, despite the fact that they've all followed me, and are watching this encounter. I roll my eyes in frustration, because these reapers really are just proving how useless they are. And it's not something that I expected from Shunsui. I expected him to have half a heart, like all the other times we've met up. Though, I suppose that since it's be a while since our last meet-up, he might just be holding back to assess me again. He does that from time to time. But it never gets any less annoying.

As soon as the first hollow tries to strike at me, I flash into the air, then cast a few very simple spells, obliterating thirty hollows in a matter of seconds. And since this is a good chance to let off some steam, I start flashing through the air, delivering strikes filled with holy power, through wind, fire, and golden light.

Frustratingly, more hollows are gathering. They must be drawn by the spiritual energy that I exude while in battle. There are so many this time, at least two hundred. No matter how good I am at flash-stepping, that won't help me lose this many of them.

I release more power, and a six foot silver and gold spear appears in my hands. I heft it overhead and start spinning it, gathering the wind and creating an enormous tornado. Trees get ripped up, boulders go flying, scorch marks appear on the ground, and hollows start disintegrating.

But they're not disappearing quickly enough, and I get impatient. So I slam my spear into the ground and unleash a spell, one of my most powerful spells. _**Invoke the**_ **_Way of Destruction! Seventh School! Third Class! Light Dome!_**

In an instant, golden light flashes through the ranks of hollows, creating a three hundred foot bubble of pure, holy energy. Any hollows that deserve purification will be purified, and those that do not will be vaporized. And with the battle over in barely the blink of an eye, I put my spear back where it belongs. It dissolves into a pool of soft golden light, before being reabsorbed by my body, leaving no physical trace that it ever even existed.

As the hollows' monstrous forms disappear, about half of the spirits approach me, as little white orbs of light. I let them swirl around me in a flurry, and I talk to them. "Would you all like to stay with me before moving on? I promise to take good care of you." It's an offer that I make regularly, and one that it very rarely turned down. "Have no fear of loneliness, you may all speak to each other while in my care." Many of them really like the idea, and even more of them started whizzing around when I mentioned that they could all talk to each other while inside me. I know that there are few things more terrifying than the thought of walking the earth alone. So I prefer to not cause anyone that fear, if I can help it.

Not that I have much of a choice, myself.

But my conversation with the spirits is cut short when the one with long black hair approaches me at an incredible speed. It's almost too fast for the naked eye, but I can see it quite clearly. I stay still as he drives his blade into my heart, then he pulls it out, and in the blink of an eye, though to me, it feels like several seconds, he returns his sword to its sheath and stands about five meters away from me, his back turned to me.

The other reapers come into view, and blood starts pouring from my chest. But obviously, when I stay standing, with a bored expression on my face, they all seem confused. I sigh and look down at the puncture mark. "Well that's just great. That hurt like a bitch." And I look over my shoulder to glare at the man. "Oi! Jackass! That kinda hurt! Check where you're aiming your sword next time and don't stab me in the goddamn heart!"

* * *

Toshiro's P.O.V.

After watching this kid talk back to Zaraki, and with a rather cocky attitude of his own, and a pretty foul mouth, I was surprised to see him fight. Once the hollows arrived, he wasted no time in running away from Zaraki, and heading straight for the battle. He jumped in with no hesitation, and seemingly, no fear of death either. That's worrisome.

The kid has serious skills, and incredible power. I can see why the head captain wanted all of the captains to come out here, this kid is seriously dangerous. He could cause natural disasters easily. In fact, I would go so far as to say that this kid is a walking disaster zone.

Then I realize how far we've come from any populated areas. _Did the kid lead us all here so that he could fight without holding back?_ That would indicate that the kid doesn't want to involve the humans, and create unwanted casualties. That at least says something about this kid's priorities. And it looks like keeping the humans safe is one of them.

Now, as I watch the kid fight, I find myself questioning this mission. Sure, the kid is powerful and dangerous, but did the reports ever include any humans getting hurt. Because if not, then why bother trying to capture a kid who is just running around, killing hollows?

Then, after the kid draws out a spear and starts swinging it around, obliterating the rest of the hollows, I see the problem. While the hollows that were evil while they were alive are cast down into the underworld, the hollows that the kid's powers purify approach the kid as balls of white light. This kid collects the souls of the dead, and it's probably not just the souls of hollows, but the souls of humans as well. And that can't be allowed to continue.

So Kuchiki draws his sword, faster than any normal soul reaper could see, but most of the captains have fast enough eyes to catch it. And what I see when Kuchiki drives his sword through the kid's heart, is astonishing to say the least.

Not only is the kid unfazed by the attack, but he saw it coming. I saw the kid's eyes follow Kuchiki's strike, and he looked bored. It was as though he allowed Kuchiki to pierce him, because judging by the speed the kid demonstrated earlier, and how he could see the sword coming at every moment, he should have been able to dodge it easily.

And then, when Kuchiki pulls the sword out, the kid just looks down at his chest with a bored expression, then complains about how that kind of hurt. _Kind of hurt. The kid was stabbed right through the heart, and he says that it kind of hurt. Not only that, but the kid is still alive, and Kuchiki never misses. How is it that this kid can not only see Kuchiki's nearly invisible strike, but survive it, and not even double over?_ And then, I see the bleeding start to stop, and the hole starts closing up, healing itself.

I force down a nervous stutter. "What the hell are we dealing with here? Some kind of immortal?" If that's the case, then we are woefully unprepared for this kind of mission. We would need to have our best bakudo experts here to contain an immortal.

Zaraki laughs beside me. "I don't know. But whatever this kid is, I want to fight him. That's a lot of power he's got, and I can't wait to test him out. Maybe we can take him back and he'll join Squad 11."

"Unlikely, since it looks like this mission might be a failure." I doubt that this is the kind of mission that we signed up for. Unless the head-captain knew something that we didn't. Though, at this point, I'm more suspicious that it's Kyoraku who knows what's going on.

But more to the point, what this means is that we're not just dealing with an entity with massive spiritual pressure and insane fighting skills, like we were told to expect. But we're also dealing with an entity who collects souls. And to top it all off, one who would appear to be immortal, seeing as he hasn't dropped dead yet. This just got a whole lot more complicated. And the only upside is that so far, this kid hasn't attacked us yet, despite having many chances to.

What the kid does next completely floors me.

Though, considering my suspicions, I suppose that it shouldn't.

* * *

Akari's P.O.V.

All of the reapers look at me, some gaping, some with wide eyes. So, I start yelling. "Oi Shunsui! Get your ass out here, because this is getting boring, and I want to know why there are so many spectators to my little sport of running away! And as for the other nine people hiding in the trees, you can all come out now! I know exactly where each and every one of you is. If you're going to surround someone, make sure that they can't see you like a bunch of spotlights in a pitch black room!"

Shunsui comes out from behind a tree and laughs. "I'm sorry for the dramatics, I just wanted the other captains to become properly acquainted with you, before inviting you to come along with me to the Soul Society, Lady Akari."

"Drop the titles, they're pointless and I hate them. I left all of that behind a long time ago. You know that very well Shunsui." And of course, that's when the captains come out of hiding, and the confused muttering starts. Obviously these guys have no idea who or what I am. Not that I've ever wanted them to know in the first place. "That's better, now I can see the faces of the humans who are foolish enough to go on this stupid hunting trip." Because dead souls with magic powers or not, these fools are still human, to some extent.

With the hole in my chest sealing itself up before their eyes, they all look at me with either curiosity or disbelief. But I keep my eyes on Shunsui. "So, why exactly are you trying to kidnap me again? I thought you'd given up years ago. I already told you, I have no interest in joining Squad 8, since I'm not even a soul reaper. And you know very well that I don't like soul reapers. So, whatever you have to say, say it fast. If I don't like it, then I'm leaving."

He laughs good-naturedly, which only ticks me off a little more. "While I would love to kidnap a pretty little lady like yourself, this is actually not the normal invitation. Actually, you've been a bit careless, letting your power leak out so much. The Department of Research and Development caught wind of you and traced your location, and the head-captain ordered us to capture you, or kill you if that wasn't possible."

I roll my eyes and sit down on a rock. "Alright then, I might as well warn your friends that I'm in a really bad mood right now, so they should try not to make me any angrier than I already am."

"Well lately, you're never in a good mood. How long has it been since you got any sleep? You seem even more irritable than usual. And pale, you look unusually pale."

I shrug. "It was sometime when a hurricane hit the east coast of North America. It kept all the hollows away and masked my power with natural energy. You know that I can't sleep for longer than half an hour without having hollows catching wind of me."

Shunsui frowns. "The last time a hurricane hit that area was a month ago. Are you saying that you've gone a whole month without any sleep?" His eyes narrow as they flick over me, obviously looking for signs of exhaustion. "That's bad for your health and you know it. In any case, when did you get back to Japan?"

Another shrug. "I made the hop back over to Japan about a week ago, which is when the attacks picked up. Seems like this country is a serious hotspot for hollows. Must be all the dimensions that intersect here. Makes it easy for them to cross the dimensional barrier."

His frown deepens a little. "It's because you draw hollows to you like flies to honey, what with the enormous amount of spiritual power that you have, and especially considering the purity of that power. You're like catnip to them, they can't resist trying to eat you."

I keep my gaze focused on Shunsui, but my senses are keeping track of the other twelve people. "So, is this all of the captains? Because I would hate to have to introduce myself more than once. Introductions get tedious."

He nods. "All of the thirteen captains of the Soul Society are here, so could you please introduce yourself to my colleagues. I'm sure that several of them are unaware of the origins of the soul reapers. So would you mind giving them a short history lesson?"

That sure gets them interested. So I sigh and roll my eyes again. "You sure know how to get your way, don't you Shunsui?" I address the rest of the captains, who are eyeing me warily. "First of all, you all should know that Shunsui is my contact in the Soul Society. Every six months or so, we meet up, and I deliver all the souls I've collected within that time-frame, usually between one and five hundred. The reason that I collect souls is because I'm from the same race as one of the first founders of the soul reapers."

Since Shunsui looks at me expectantly, I get off my rock and walk towards him, engulfing myself in gold fire, revealing my true form. I'm still small, but my short scarlet hair lengthens dramatically, falling in waves down my back. It catches fire as my ripped and bloodied clothes change, revealing a short red silk Chinese style sleeveless dress, and fluttering white silk that forms the loose sleeves, and a many layered, ruffled and pleated skirt that hangs to mid-thigh. A single clear gem decorates my hair, but the gem itself is the size of a large chicken's egg. Scarlet and gold wings emerge from my back, reaching out ten feet in each direction.

"Obviously, I am no soul reaper. In fact, I don't really like soul reapers. And I only protect humans because protecting them usually happens while I'm protecting myself, plus it's a deeply ingrained habit. And since I have no right to involve others in my fights, I always fight away from people. Which is why their presence really bugs me."

My spear appears in my hand, mostly for impact and dramatic effect, but also in case they get it into their heads that they feel like attacking me. I plant it firmly in the ground. "I am an immortal sun bird, also called a bennu, phoenix, vermillion bird, as well as a hundred other names that I don't care to keep track of. Just pick whichever the humans decide to call us nowadays." It irritates me that the humans can't seem to make up their minds on what to call us. But I suppose that just comes with having so many people, and several thousand languages flying around. "I'm seventy-five years old, and obviously, I've been on the run from hollows for a while, as they have some sick notions about eating me for lunch. Now, if that's enough of an introduction, I have some running to get back to." I've wasted more than enough time here.

But as I turn to leave, one of the captains, a young woman, from the looks of her, leaps towards me with the obvious intention of picking a fight with me. But I saw her first strike coming with my precognition, and I catch the strike easily, and our faces remain only inches apart. "Regardless of what or who you are, my orders stand, and those orders are to take you into custody, or kill you if the former is not possible."

She strikes at me again, this time, activating some kind of ability, her zanpakuto ability, I've heard Shunsui call it, and strikes at my stomach. I don't resist her, but I stand my ground, refusing to move an inch. "Will you be taken into custody, or must I kill you instead?" It sounds to me like she actually believes that she can kill me. It would seem that she didn't take the whole immortal part very seriously.

My mouth twitches. "You can go ahead and try, but if you strike me one more time, you'll have used up your three mercy strikes, and I will start fighting back. That is my policy when fighting ignorant humans. I give them three chances to back down before I start knocking them around."

That just pisses her right off, and she strikes me in the stomach again, hitting the butterfly mark she put on me earlier. But though she expects me to keel over, I just burn the butterfly mark off and glare at her. Then, in an instant, I close the distance between us, with a pinprick of light in my palm, and I slam a palm strike into her stomach, sending her flying back towards her compatriots.

With a sigh, I draw back, looking over at her form as she struggles back to her feet. "I did warn you, copiously. You hit me a third time, so I hit you back." I look around at the rest of them. "Now, is there anyone else who wants to be foolish and try to piss me off, or can I be on my way? Because three strikes and my restraint goes out the window. And if none of you want to get seriously injured, I suggest that you just turn around and go home. On the other hand, if you don't mind getting beaten to a bloody pulp, then go ahead and attack me. I'm not picky about who I fight, whether it's hollows who want to eat me, or soul reapers who want to kidnap me."

But the old man who seems to be their leader holds back the large, black-haired one, who really looks like he wants to fight me, the black-haired woman who hit me earlier and seems to want a re-match, and a really creepy silver-haired guy who I just want to poke some holes in and burn to a crisp. Seriously, that one creeps me out on all kinds of levels. But, with him holding them back, it looks like there is nothing more for me to do here, and that means that it's time to leave.

But just as I turn to leave, Shunsui pipes up. "Akari, you've been summoned."

That confuses me. "And who exactly presumes to have the authority to summon me anywhere?" If this is something serious, then he should have said it in the first place, rather than all of this pointless dancing around. Hence, my skepticism.

He reaches into his robe and pulls out a small object. He tosses it to me, and I catch it in my left hand, it's a small circle of gold with my family crest on it, an ancient symbol for a powerful line. It feels warm and familiar, then I realize why, I've felt an energy similar to this before. I bite my lip, then throw my spear high into the air. "I see, so you aren't here because of the orders to give chase to me, you're working for Him. I suppose that it was only a matter of time before he caught wind of me and summoned me." I shake my head. "Alright, you win, I'll go with you. But as soon as this meeting is over, I'm going to leave." My spear comes hurtling back down, plunging into my chest and disappearing in a flash of light.

He smiles at me. "You can sleep on the way, I promise that no one here is going to hurt you."

I scoff since that's quite a bold promise. "No one could kill me, no matter how hard they tried. That doesn't make me trust them." For all I know, one of them could bind me up while I'm asleep, then proceed to wake me up and torture me until I got myself loose. And I would rather not go through that again. One torture session by some hollows that were too smart and too sadistic for their own good was enough.

Shunsui nods slightly, his eyes warm and bright. "Well, if it will make you feel better, then I will carry you myself, and you can sleep on the way to the meeting."

I consider his offer. He's certainly strong enough to protect me against hollows, though I don't know how he stacks up against his fellow captains. It would be nice to finally get some sleep, but I don't trust all these other reapers. Then again, I could just exude a protective aura while sleeping, in case any of them try anything funny. So with a fragile thread of trust, I let my wings disappear. "Alright then, I'll try to have a nap. It's been a month since I last slept, so I guess an hour or so wouldn't hurt." I approach him and he picks me up delicately, much to the astonishment and confusion of the other captains. But I ignore them and put up my protective aura. "Oh, and if any of you try anything funny within ten feet of me, I'll wake up and smash your face in." It's crude, but it's one of the most effective threats I have. And when I'm satisfied that my threat has been adequately received, I relax into Shunsui's arms and fall asleep.


	4. Child of Sokyoku

**Jeez, I really went and let my other stories run away with me. This one got put on the back burner until literally my busiest time of the year. School and my bigger stories kind of took over my life, and my little and early stories haven't gotten the attention that they deserve.**

 **Anyway, here's an update, and I should have another around a lot sooner than this one. I'm just working around major term projects and essays is all. All 1500 to 3000 words each. That's rough when you have to reference everything Chicago Style to the nth power.**

* * *

Toshiro's P.O.V.

I'm not entirely sure what to make of what just happened. _I thought that we were on some kind of capture mission. But…Lady Akari?_ I thought we were chasing a boy, it was an honest mistake. _And who the hell is this that Kyoraku is addressing with a title of nobility? Or is it just out of respect? Or...screw it, I don't know anymore? Kyoraku has a lot of explaining to do._

But, instead of explaining anything, he just smiles down at the girl in his arms, before turning to Kurotsuchi. "Think you could open a door back for us? She's got somebody to see, and a few decades of sleep to catch up on. Once she gets a chance, she'll be out like a light for a couple of weeks."

The old scientist bristles at the request. "What exactly are you bringing this child back for?"

"Hm…I don't really want to spoil the surprise." Kyoraku chuckles softly. "But I suppose you'll all find out soon enough."

That only makes Kurotsuchi all the more irritated, but the Head Captain heads him off. "Enough, it is time to return." He taps his cane on the ground, and a small senkaimon opens for us. "And Shunsui, you had best have a good explanation for this."

"Oh, I do, don't you worry about that." And though he says that, it looks like Kyoraku is all too happy to keep that explanation to himself.

The head captain, however, is perfectly fine with taking that at face value, or he appears to be, at least. It might have something to do with the fact that he taught Kyoraku back in a time before I remember existing. And he's the first to step through the door, followed by several of the other captains, then Kyoraku. I step in right behind him, and the remaining captains, including Kuchiki, bring up the rear, as though worried the the girl fast asleep in Kyoraku's arms might make a break for it.

We travel rather silently through the Dengai, returning to the Seireitei with our… _What exactly are we doing? Escorting the girl?_ Well, whatever it is that we're doing, it's giving me plenty of time to evaluate the situation.

Firstly, this girl, this…phoenix, flat out refused to come with us or surrender, but agreed to come when Kyoraku said that she'd been summoned. And whatever he tossed her must have been some kind of proof, or a token from the one who gave the order.

And order that came from someone powerful enough to hold authority over, or at least the respect of one of the most powerful captains in all the squads. And the only ones that brings to mind are the royal family, and Central 46. But if they knew about her, then why not send us or the Royal Guard out sooner than this?

Not only that, but now there's little doubt as to her gender. When we were chasing her, I could have sworn she was a boy. But…seeing her in this dress, well, it definitely fits her body better than those rags she was wearing that were too big in places and too small in others.

And the hair that was once short, rough, choppy, and really looked not at all feminine, now looks…distinctively so. Long, silky, wavy, and a much brighter scarlet than before. She really is like nothing I've ever seen before.

Kyoraku's voice breaks my train of thought. "You look confused, Toshiro. What's wrong?"

"Well…" I frown, trying to find the words. "Exactly where are you taking her? Who is it that wants to meet her? And why is she so hostile to us?"

Kyoraku smiles a sad smile. "If you want to see who it is that wants to talk to her." He raises his voice slightly as we approach the other side of the gate. "You are all welcome to come along to Sokyoku Hill and see for yourselves what is going on." Lowering his voice again, he speaks for only me to hear. "And as for her hostility, well that gets into complicated details in her past, and I really shouldn't say. But If I had to guess, I'd say that as soon as we're done, she's going to rail about how much she hates soul reapers."

Well, that's frustrating. He's offering some answers, but only in a roundabout way. Which, of course, means that I have to follow him in order to make sense of any of this chaos. "I see…" I shove my hands into my sleeves, crossing my arms to conceal my irritation. "Then lead on."

And then there's that completely illogical hatred and hostility she's got. No one but hollows should hate us that much, and if nothing else, she's proven that she's not one of those.

"Of course." He smiles as he steps through the other side of the doorway and into the light of the Seireitei.

And how convenient that the head captain would choose to open our door straight out onto the execution grounds. Though I'm not sure whether it's coincidence or just good instincts, the girl in Kyoraku's arms stirs as we approach the center of the execution grounds.

Where the Sokyoku halberd is standing tall, sealed away until its next use.

* * *

Akari's P.O.V.

I wake up to a strong presence, stronger than I've ever felt before. But I recognize it, at least, partly. It reminds me of my grandfather's presence, and a little of my father's. May they both burn hotter than the sun and turn to ash, to be scattered on the breeze. But it's older than that, much older. And when I open my eyes, Shunsui looks down at me and smiles. "The one who summoned you is here."

He puts me down, and I can see that a few of the captains are looking worried or uneasy. Especially the short one with the white hair and pretty blue eyes. "So why exactly are we at the execution grounds? She's an outsider, so she shouldn't be anywhere near this place."

Shunsui shakes his head. "It's not our place to question this. Everything should become clear if we all just open our eyes and take a good look at the situation. You are all about to witness something very interesting."

As he says that, I approach the giant halberd. It must be about a hundred feet tall, way bigger than my spear. But then again, I'm not full grown yet, and the size of my weapon will grow as I do, and then continue to grow in power with time. Unfortunately, my growth is frozen, and I'm not sure why.

"Whoa, hey! Don't touch that! It'll vaporize you!" The short one seems a little overly concerned for my safety, since obviously, I wouldn't be reaching for the halberd if I believed that it would kill me. Nevertheless, his eyes are wide with shock, and it amuses me slightly.

The chick who attacked me earlier has a very different concern. "Only members of the execution squad are allowed to touch it!" She says that as though she actually expects me to do anything she says. As if, especially that annoying little display of hers earlier.

"You know, you really annoy me. So would you consider just shutting up and staying out of this, since it's none of your business?" I spit the words at her with blatant hostility, not caring that I've got an audience. Honestly, why should I care? It's not like any of them can kill me.

"Why you little brat!" And before she can say another word, Shunsui stops her. "I'm sorry Akari, please go ahead and do what you have to."

So I ignore the annoying, pompous, control freak and I let the energy of the halberd flow around me, and despite several of them reiterating the warning and telling me not to touch it, I place my hand on the halberd, and fire swirls around me, glowing a bright gold, mixed with traces of incandescent blue. The heat is incredible, and the power is beyond anything I've ever managed to produce. Since, of course, I'm not actually the one producing most of it. But I keep my hands on the halberd, looking for the one who summoned me here.

Finally, I find what I'm looking for, and I give the golden soul ribbon a good tug, awakening the person who called for me. And the one who appears is neither my father, nor my grandfather, but he reminds me of them, with golden eyes and flaming hair, but an unusually soft expression, unlike the ones I remember. I back up a few meters, giving him room to move around in spirit form.

As he looks gently at me, his face stirs my memories, something from when I was very young. I was only ten years old, maybe eleven. But I remember this man. Father called him grandfather, which should make him my great-grandfather.

He looks at me even more fondly after a moment of examination. "It has been a long time, Akari-Hime. When last I saw you, I had managed to borrow a body to make a visit. And you were so small that you still clung to your parents' legs."

Ignoring the resurgence of slightly less pleasant memories, as well as that…name, I put my hands on my hips and stare him down. "Alright old man, what exactly do you want with me? I haven't seen you in over half a century."

He nods. "I have been trying to summon you here for the last eighteen years. Why has it taken you so long to arrive?" He honestly looks confused, and it would probably make me feel guilty, if I could feel much of anything besides fear, anger, and the occasional bout of morbid curiosity anymore.

As it is, I scoff at his words. "I've been on the run for the last twenty years, barely managing to survive with my sanity intact. So visiting relatives is something that I haven't really had time for, no matter how powerful and high ranking they may be. And frankly, I have no interest in getting involved in whatever family politics you plan to drag me into, Great-Grandfather." I look at him rather distastefully. "Though I never actually thought that you'd managed to die. That explains why you disappeared so quickly the one and only time I ever saw you."

He ignores my scathing remark and nods, as though understanding my reason for not visiting. "In that case, where is your brother? The summons was for the two of you."

I clench my fists in anger, because this old man clearly has no idea what I've gone through in the last twenty years. So I put a scathing smile on my face, my voice as cold as ice. "He died, twenty years ago. Which is why I've been on my own, running all over the world, trying to escape from hollows so that they wouldn't do the same to me that they did him. Together, we were safe, but once he died, I was on my own. Since I had no one to watch my back, I had to run."

He frowns. "Is that why you carry your brother's weapons with you? I can sense them deep inside your heart, Akari."

I grit my teeth at the resurgence of unpleasant thoughts. Thoughts of why I carry his powers in the first place. "Can you just get to the point already? Because once we're done here, I'm leaving and going back to running. It's about the only thing I can do, so I'd rather get back to it sooner rather than later." Because I hate this place, I hate these people, and I don't want to be here a minute longer than I have to. And while I am not opposed to telling them all that, I will at least retain some manners and keep that thought in my head for now.

He looks at me sternly, but still with a hint of kindness. "In that case, you may need to rethink your plans. It is my wish that you stay here and help the soul reapers. Something terrible is approaching sometime in the future, and your powers will save the lives of many humans and soul reapers."

My mouth drops open in shock. "And what the hell makes you think that I want to help soul reapers. What do you think you're playing at, asking me to do something like that? They say that they purify hollows and save human souls, but they slack off so much that I end up having to run for my life! It isn't even my job to rescue human souls, but I end up having to do that, otherwise my conscience can't handle it! And with hollows chasing me everywhere I go, how am I supposed to trust the people whose job it is to stop exactly that from happening, while they're failing miserably at it! So why should I stay here at your request, which is vague and pointless to begin with?"

What infuriates me further is that he listens to my tirade patiently, like he has all the time in the world. "This may be a difficult transition for you, but ultimately, you will be safer and more useful here than anywhere else. And I cannot give you any more information because I do not have any further information." _Well, that's distinctly unhelpful._

Before I can start arguing, Shunsui addresses my great-grandfather. "I would be happy to provide Akari with a home here, as I have offered to do many times. She will be well taken-care of."

Panic rises inside me in an instant. "Whoa, wait! I never said that I-"

"Akari!" He shouts, his voice booming and his form shimmering with the power of his exclamation. "You must stay here in the Soul Society, where the hollows can't reach you." When my mouth twitches, he continues. "Your personality has changed drastically since the last time I saw you. You were always such a happy and energetic child."

I growl at him. "I'm not a child anymore, no matter how much I look like one. Plus, it doesn't help that I haven't had a full night's sleep in years." In decades, actually. Not since the day my brother died.

Hearing that, he cuts me off again. "If you continue to argue about this, I will make it an order instead of a request. You will stay here."

That makes me freeze, because I can feel how powerful he is, and if he were so inclined, he could do things much worse to me than dying would be. For an excruciatingly long moment, I want to scream, and throw things, and stab things, and just cause all sorts of chaos. Because no matter what I do, it seems like whenever an important decision has to be made about what I have to do, I don't get a damn choice in the matter. And I'm supposed to watch over the fates of others!?

Then, I rein in my temper and throw up my hands in surrender. "Fine, you win, I'll stay. But that doesn't mean that I'm going to like this. And before I do anything remotely close to helping, I want to sleep for a couple of weeks, because I'm tired and grumpy and my head hurts."

"Well, I think that a nice long nap can be arranged. I've already set aside a private room in the Squad 8 barracks for you in my quarters. I set it aside for you the first time that I spoke with your great-grandfather." Shunsui smiles at me and puts his hand on my shoulder.

That irks me a little, but I stay quiet since Shunsui is the only soul reaper in existence that I can stand. Then Shunsui laughs. "Well, maybe you'll be a bit more yourself after a nap. Less irritable, belligerent and uncharacteristically hostile."

I grumble a little, only for the old geezer that would call himself my ancestor to interrupt. "Just accept the captain's help and protection, no matter how resentful and upset you are. And considering how social a person you are, being alone so long seems to have done some serious damage to your personality."

I glare at him. "Well don't go poking at my flaws. I'm already quite aware of them, seeing as my brother kept trying to beat them out of me, with very little success."

He laughs lightly. "Well, you're as stubborn and hot-tempered as always. Do your best to help the soul reapers. I will keep an eye on your progress from here." His presence disappears back into the halberd.

While I fume over my undesired circumstances, Shunsui guides me away from the rather stunned captains, whisking me away with what is undoubtedly only one of his many soul reaper talents.

He brings me to a nice room inside of what looks like barracks. "Now, generally speaking, only members of Squad 8 are allowed to stay in the barracks. But I'm making an exception for you, since I'm one of the few here that you're comfortable with. So keeping you here with me is the best thing to do."

Reluctantly, I accept his hospitality, since I have no other choice. Even in that form, the old man could probably seal me into this dimension. But...I at least find that the room has been customized for my preferences. I guess he remembers the conversation that we had about my old room in that place that I swore never to return to. Because there is a nest of blankets in the middle of the floor, and a skylight, a big bathtub and a full kitchen, since I eat food just like regular people. He must have had it renovated just for me.

"Okay, you held up your end of the bargain, Shunsui, now out. I did say I wanted two weeks of sleep. The sooner I get on that, the better. And make sure that none of your subordinates come in and try to wake me up, or I'll start spitting fire, okay?" I push him out of the room, locking the door behind him as I listen to his chuckles echoing down the hall, before collapsing onto the blankets and falling asleep.

I sleep for a few days, then wake up to eat and bathe, before falling asleep again. I repeat the cycle for over two weeks. Which gives me plenty of time to dream.

* * *

 _Black skies. A bad omen. It foretells death and destruction. Then, the sun begins to rise, foretelling the future. I look around, my sharp eyes searching for a sign, anything, everything. I never know what the sign is going to be. It could manifest as…well, just about anything._

 _Looking up, the first oddity shows itself. A group of clouds, two orange in color, one of them twisted with the black of the void and blinding white, the other with bright blue. One cloud as black as a raven's feathers but twisted all up with a swirl of white. And another the color of chocolate twisted with red._

 _Then, a powerful force tugs at my feet, and I look down to see rivers of color flowing across the ground. Black and purple, pink and red, strange but rather ethereal in a way. Scarlet, green, crimson, reminiscent of blood on grass and the echoes of war. White, laced with turquoise, teal, seafoam, the colors of a frozen ocean. And black again, mixed together with a soft white, like snow in the sky._

 _When I look up and into the distance, light overcomes me, cradling me in the warmth of the rising sun._

 _The future, then, I'm seeing the hope for the future. Time is a mystery, an enigma, and to me, flows backwards._

 _The wind whispers to me, murmuring to me the names that I need to hear, the names of those clouds, those rivers. They glide through my ears like strands of silk carried by the wind._

 _I listen. And I hear them._

* * *

 _The scene changes. A battle rages before me, and a boy, just a teenager, brandishes a huge sword as he races into battle without fear. His orange hair is obvious against the black clothing, as well as the blood spattered over him._

 _But it's his soul that shines with a bright light._

 _Who…are you?_

 _He turns on the spot, not seeing me, but still smirking a little. "Ichigo Kurosaki, age fifteen, substitute soul reaper." The sun shines high in the sky. Present._

 _Then, it rewinds, the golden orb coming up over the horizon as Sokyoku's halberd rises above us, shining with a dangerously powerful light in the light of the rising sun. It's a strength far too dangerous to be wielded by semi-immortals. Part of the future. The immediate future._

* * *

 _A man with brown hair and the jacket of a soul reaper captain. His eyes empty and cold, hateful._

 _A traitor._

 _There's a betrayer within the ranks of the soul reapers. And behind him lies darkness, figures with masks peering out of it. Hollows, and…something else. More human-like figures._

 _And no sun to be seen._

* * *

I turn over, opening my eyes for only a few moments as I process the newest dreams, a vague understanding flowing through me. And the words spill from my lips. "Ichigo Kurosaki…I look forward to meeting you soon…"

And with a smile on my lips, I drift right back off into sleep, this time undisturbed by premonitory dreams.


End file.
